The Royal Ball
by JuniperLemon
Summary: A royal ball is held to find Prince Steve a partner to rule with. He wasn't exactly ready to fall for short and sassy Tony Stark. Needless to say, Tony wasn't particularly prepared either.
1. Chapter 1

The ball was in full swing but Steve was still hanging reluctantly at the sidelines like the wallflower he was not allowed to be. He straightened out his well-fitted white tuxedo with the red sash and made sure the medals lined up across his chest were not crooked. If he'd been given any semblance of a choice he would be as far from this royal ball as possible but since the whole reason his parents were holding this thing was to find Steve a partner to rule with once they passed away, he had no choice but to attend. The number random people who had literally thrown themselves on him had been embarrassing. He could never understand how some people could be so obsessed with power but have no idea all the responsibilities that came along with it. He was only Prince but he could swear he was going grey from stress! He couldn't imagine being king.

He noticed a smaller man in a dark tuxedo leaning against the wall near him too. The guy wasn't exactly looking enthused to be there and a hint of annoyance sparked in Steve before he remembered that actually he didn't want to be here either. He approached the man in the hope of some sane and not royal obsessed conversation; he wasn't here looking for a partner. Either that or he'd made a royal dash for the exit.

"So, these Royal balls kinda suck, right?" Steve opened with a charming smile as he tried to lean casually beside the guy. Some people felt threatened by his status and clammed up so he always tried his best to put his loyal subjects at ease.

The man scanned him up and down before commenting with a flirtatious smirk, "I think I can see some 'royal balls' that I wouldn't mind sucking."

Steve spluttered, "What?" Nobody he had ever met had ever had enough confidence to flirt with him in such a brazen manner especially considering that he could have them beheaded with a mere snap of his fingers. Not that he would ever actually kill someone…

The man burst out laughing at the look on Steve's face, "I'm sorry. It's just I saw the royal uniform and honestly couldn't help myself." His infectious chuckling had claimed Steve who was now laughing along freely. "Royal guard?" He tilted his head.

Steve blinked. Never before in his life had he not been recognised as the Prince. Nearly every individual in his land knew of him and had most likely seen him in person. He had a moral conflict for a mere moment before his heart overruled his head and he said casually, "Oh, yeah. Royal guard. Be careful, I'm pretty sure what you said was treacherous!" He giggled freely.

The man feigned offence and commented back sharply, "Me? What about you? I'm sure the royals won't be impressed if they hear their own royal guard thinks their parties suck?"

They peered at each other for some time while the shorter man tried to masquerade a serious expression despite the smirk that was cracking through. Steve imitated his expression in a playful game that made them feel almost like co-conspirators. It was Steve who broke first by laughing as he spoke.

"Well, someone has to break it to them. Otherwise they will keep living a lie."

A group of women, decked out in full ball gowns, up-dos and heels, gaggled passed them with each one making eyes at Steve in a desperate attempt to grab his attention. Always the gentleman, he nodded to the group respectfully which sent them running off, each chattering about how they were most certain that his look had been directed at them alone. He watched them go feeling almost sorry for them. Maybe it was about time he broke it to his folks that he was actually gay and he was most definitely not looking for a queen to join his rule. The kingdom had been completely okay with homosexuality and other LGBT matters for decades now so he wasn't fearing their rejection.

It was only when Steve's new acquaintance leant in was the royal pulled from his train of thought, "See they've noticed too…"

Frowning, he was suddenly self conscious. He whispered in response, "Noticed what?"

"That you're the hottest guy in this palace." The man pulled out what was clearly his most charming smile and leant against the wall in such a way that placed him closer to the tall, handsome 'guardsman'.

The Prince wasn't used to being flattered in such a way so he couldn't stop the red flush that quickly raced up his neck and to the tip of his ears. Nobody ever spoke to Steve as though he was a regular person but always were trying to win his favor in order to be close to the throne. These people weren't stupid; they knew his parents didn't have long left and Steve would be likely to need a partner to take over the rule.

"And judging by the way you've gone beet red I'm guessing you're not aware of that fact? And that's not just me trying to get into your pants." He raised his hands as though making a surrendering gesture but since his hand was up he then bent it down and grabbed Steve's, "I'm Tony, by the way."

Steve hoped Tony didn't notice the way all the real Royal guards suddenly reached for their swords the moment this stranger grabbed for him quickly. They were always on high alert with the royals and especially Steve since he was the only heir. To lose their only heir at a ball designed to find him a prince or princess to rule with would be rather awkward.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Steve." Since Tony didn't recognise his face Steve correctly assumed the man wouldn't know his name either.

"Say, I don't know where you're allowed to go but did you fancy patrolling the royal gardens for a while? If it helps I can be a damsel in distress." The small man raised a hand to his brow and pretended to swoon slightly.

Steve bit the side of his cheek to fight the beaming grin, "I'm pretty sure I can go wherever I want but seeing you as a damsel can only help."

"Well, I guess if you can go wherever you wish then maybe we might end up at my place." Tony knew he was being a little tongue-in-cheek with the overtness of his flirting but Steve was unbelievably good looking, funny, smart and had a great body. He wasn't about to lose his only opportunity by being too subtle. "It's pretty close by." He added as he took the Prince by the hand and led him out towards the gardens.

Steve muttered under his breath, "I bet mine's closer.

* * *

Moonlight accompanied the twinkling of thousands of fairy lights that had been dropped across the royal gardens. Tall trees and bushes isolated them from the rest of the world making it become just them and the gravel path. Realistically, Steve knew that there was probably a royal guardsman behind every corner monitoring them in case Tony really was a crazed Royal murderer. He appreciated their thoroughness but felt completely safe with Tony. He wasn't afraid to say the cliché: it felt like he'd known him for years.

Only the gravel crunched underfoot as they descended deeper into the gardens. Steve wanted to know what Tony was thinking but he didn't want to ruin this tranquil moment they had managed to cultivate independent from the chaos of the ball. Light glancing off his medals and shiny gold buttons made him peer down at himself. All of a sudden he felt so foolish. As though his medals and wealth meant anything when the only person he connected with at this whole ball had been a man in a simple black suit with no thrills. He felt pompous and extravagant but most of all he felt like a moron.

"You look embarrassed." Tony murmured softly, "You can go back if you want."

Steve didn't realise Tony had been watching him this whole time which made him flush more. They stopped walking and peered at each other for a while. Steve's breath caught in his throat and the light illuminated his new friend's features spectacularly.

"What is it? The natural light revealing the true hideousness of my form?" It was clearly a joke but his tone was too breathy and distracted to fully carry it.

Hesitantly, Steve placed his hand on the bridge between Tony's neck and jaw and began to pull him closer. He needn't worry whether the shorter man would respond as Tony's hands were instantly on the Prince. Their lips bumped together softly at first but upon reassurance from both they became more confident and their mouths collided in a heat that enveloped them. As they became more passionate Steve suddenly realised that a subject walking in on them furiously making out in the gardens probably wouldn't give the best impression so they'd better move somewhere more private.

Breaking the kiss, he pulled back causing Tony to give out a longing whine in protest, "Lets get out of public. To my room." He grabbed Tony's hand and they ran back towards the palace but were making a bee-line for a servant entrance in an attempt to avoid the hundreds of people gathered in the ballroom. Undoubtedly, the Prince sprinting around with a random civilian would most definitely cause a scandal.

"You live in the palace!?" Tony exclaimed, dumbfounded.

Steve rolled his eyes as he tried to create another lie to maintain his guardsman cover story, "Its a perk of the job."

Wordlessly, Stark nodded.


	2. Chapter 2

Yellow behind his eyelids pulled him from unconsciousness into the waking world. He blinked open his eyes to see how sheathes of light were pouring in from his large balcony windows onto his face and chest as he'd been a little too distracted to close the curtains the night before. That suddenly snapped a memory causing him to dart around to see Tony lying in the kingsize bed beside him. His guest was still fast asleep despite the fact it was clearly approaching mid-day.

Steve sat up in bed. The sheets pooled around his hips making him suddenly very aware that he was very naked and exposed. While his servants aways knocked before entry he couldn't help but be paranoid. As he gathered up sheets to cover his body he knocked the arm of his bed partner causing him to wake up. Steve cursed mentally and pulled a smile across his face.

Almost catlike in manner, Tony stretched out and released a purr-like sound. He cracked open his eyes and smiled softly up at the Prince, "Good morning." He ran his hand over Steve's muscular thigh, exploring in areas the royal was not prepared for. The Prince leapt back as though electrocuted and Tony's eyes thinned to slits with suspicion, "What's wrong?"

"I-" Steve had only just started when a voice outside the room sent this whole experience crumbling.

"Prince Steven?" Steve recognised the voice of his right hand man immediately, "Their majesties require your presence in the study. Concerning your presence at the ball."

Steve's gaze shot down to Tony who looked as though the whole palace had been vaporised leaving him plummeting hundreds of feet to the ground. Tony's dark eyes slowly managed to find Steve's face but he wasn't in the right state of mind to conceal his rising panic. He ran anxious fingers through his hair.

"I'll be right there." Steve called to Clint.

"Oh my God. This really was treacherous… If this was a ploy to find an excuse to behead me… Oh my God. I just had sex with the Prince. The Prince. I'm dead, actually dead." Stark mumbled senselessly while throwing his arm over his eyes as though peering into the oblivion of death was too much for him.

"Tony. Tony. Tony." He had to repeat as Tony just rambled over the top of him trying to console the man, "You did nothing wrong. We are consenting adults."

"Oh my God, the king will make sure I never live another day. What am I supposed to do? I slept with the King's only son." The Prince's soothing words were bouncing off him.

Seeing no other option, Steve dropped the sheets (his self consciousness being second to Tony's wellbeing) and instead grabbed Tony's face. He pulled him in for a soft but insistent kiss. The second their lips touched Tony stopped panicking and kissed back whole-heartedly. It took a minute to really relax the man.

"Look, Tony." Prince Rogers broke the kiss but didn't release his gentle, caressing hold on the other, "I really like you and had so much fun but the ball is completely in your court now. If you feel uncomfortable with this then just tell me and we can never see each other again or we can keep seeing where this goes." He comforted the man.

"Seriously?" He looked like this was too good to be true. A hopeful light was lit in the smaller man's eyes,

"Of course! Just because I'm a Prince doesn't mean I would ignore your feelings." He tried to hide the offence he felt but he'd always been told that he wasn't any good at hiding his emotions.

Steve hauled himself out of the huge, comfortable bed reluctantly and tried to ignore how Tony was definitely gazing at his butt as he did so. He had never actually been with many people in his sheltered life so he had never become very comfortable with others observing his body. He hurriedly pulled on his pants and shirt. He peered down at the smaller man while he he buttoned his shirt. Tony was lounging in the soft bed, his arms stretched and eyes closed in bliss. The royal contemplated kicking Tony out so he could get on with his daily royal duties but then realised that he couldn't disturb someone looking so utterly blessed out. With a smile, he finished dressing and slipped out the room with a content smile.

—-

-2 weeks later-

Steve's view was slightly obscured by the large cloak hood that guarded his identity from those around him. He was striding through the centre of the market, ignoring the seller calls for his focused attention. The royal didn't have time for this; he'd been searching for Tony everyday for the last week. The man has disappeared after their night together and Steve was determined not to let their connection die. Tony had seemed so hopeful at the idea of them being together despite Steve's role in the kingdom.

It was then he saw a shorter man talking to a vegetables seller and his heart leapt into his throat. He would recognise that dark hair and van dyke beard any day! He rushed over and grabbed the man's arm to turn him around.

"Steve?" Tony asked, brow furrowed and a question echoing in his eyes. Hs peered around the crowded market place to see if anyone had spotted them together, "What are you doing here?"

The frown on Steve's face mirrored the smaller man. He had naively assumed that Tony would be pleased to see him but he suddenly realised that the man had left and not come back on his own accord. Unconsciously, his hand released Tony's arm from his strong grip.

"I needed to see you." He felt the red flush his cheeks as he began to make a fool of himself,"You left without telling me. I thought we had some sort of connection."

People in the market began to notice the dark hooded figure and Tony hunched over talking passionately so the smaller man dragged him roughly into a close alley between two small houses. He pulled down Steve's hood to get a glimpse of the eyes he'd been longingly thinking of every day for two weeks.

"You're the Prince! What was I supposed to say? It could never happen!" Tony snapped, hurt that the prince was rubbing their separation in his face. "I wasn't going to make it worse by waiting around!"

"Why can't it work!? We can make it work!" Steve cried back, "Things have changed, Tony. You're allowed to be whoever you truly are in this kingdom."

"You're a prince." He sighed dejectedly.

"What's the point in being Prince if I can't even love whoever I want…. And I want to love you." Steve admitted, glancing down to the uneven paving stones.

"You can't be serious!"

"Let me show you just how serious I am." Steve managed to whisper, stepping closer, before their lips touched and they fell into a deep kiss. Their hands raised up to cup the others head and prevent them pulling away too quickly. As they slowly separated, they gazed into the eyes of the other and a smile grew onto their mouths.

Tony whispered, "Okay."

—

One Year Later-

Tony grinned as Steve entered their bedroom and began pealing off his royal garb in a swift action. The white jacket was strewn over the fancy desk chair and pants thrown onto the floor by their bed. Tony couldn't help but laugh at the fact that one year ago he couldn't even identify such a fancy room as something belonging to a Prince. At this point in their relationship though he now understood why Steve felt like he had to lie in order for them to be together normally.

"What a sexy highness we have here." Tony smirked.

Steve peered over at him from under his bangs; he could already tell that the smaller man was in a mischievous mood. A smile slowly curled at his lips as his years of suppressing his emotions in public came in handy when playing coy with his partner.

"Your majesty doesn't look too bad from where I'm standing either." Steve chuckled as he pulled back the quilt and dove into the huge and unbelievably soft bed.

Unions being reminded of his title, Tony glanced across at their matching ceremonial crowns that were placed in a glass cabinet across the room for safe keeping. This time last year he would never have even guessed that he could become the a Prince and married to one too all in the space of 365 days. When he went to that ball that night he'd been looking for fun, not a husband and a royal title.

"I love you, you know." Steve muttered as he shifted closer and rested his head against his partner's shoulder. The Prince ran his finger tips across the smaller man's chest.

"I know." Tony sighed and purposefully waited a couple of seconds to wind up his partner. Prince or not, Tony would never lose his cheeky personality, "I love you too."


End file.
